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[olivia41]

For the last year that my boyfriend and I have had our two boys Liv and Indy, they've both gotten along really well. However, lately as Indy matures he seems to be getting more aggressive. Liv as always seemed like the alpha chin even when our new boy(we hope) Benji came, but it seems like Indy is trying to take that away. When we have free play time, Indy will chase Liv and we find Liv with tufts of fur when we take them out to play. Liv doesn't fight back though, he just runs away. Also, Indy will sometimes be aggressive to Benji as well, just not as often. Help! I'm worried for my boys 

[chinclub]

even when our new boy(we hope) Benji came,

Does this mean you aren't sure if Benji is a boy?  If he is really a she that could be your problem right there.  Male chinchillas will fight when a female in heat is close by.

[cusunfireguy]

Didn't we already have this thread?

Steven

[olivia41]

yes, we have been trying very hard to figure out of the sex of Benji but he is still very small. But, if Benji was a female would it make sense that Indy is the one who is trying to fight Liv, but he also fights  Benji? and Liv does not fight back.

[chinclub]

Yes it would.

[cusunfireguy]

We could use a picture of the genitals.  Hold the chin in your hand and lift up with the tail and take the picture from behind.   Seems to work best.

Steven

[chinclub]

Yes, hold it like this:



Also, I have some pictures on my site for sexing both babies and adults that you might find helpful:

http://www.huggablepets.com/huggablepets/sexing.shtml

[olivia41]

looks like a girl, doesn't it?   you can be truthful.

[cusunfireguy]

Oh yes, looks like you have a female there.  Sorry!  I know that's not what you want to hear but it looks like you have some tough choices to make.  The exact same thing happened to me when I first started out.  The one of mine that turned out to be female I just couldn't bear to get rid of so I gave one of my males to a good friend.  My males started fighting and it just got worse and worse until ears were torn and one of my males got his eye lid damaged pretty good prompting a vet visit.  I know it's hard because you love them and are very atattched to them but you don't want them to get hurt.  I know how you feel since I've been there and I wish you the best.

Steven

[chinclub]

Yes, I agree with Steven.  You certainly have a girl.  Which explains all of the fighting. 

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Yes we were afraid of that.
With 2 males in the same cage, in the same room, and a female   
The males could fight to the death when she goes into heat.
If you leave all 3 in the same cage someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed.
If you keep the female she will have to be moved to another room if you want to keep the boys in the same cage.
Or if you want to breed take out one of the males and leave her with one.
Yes tough decision I know. you love them all now.

 

[cusunfireguy]

I know sweetie!  It killed me to decide but I had to.  My boy now has really torn ears but doing fine.  Just thankful he's fine you know?
Steven

[Jo Ann]

   Yep, you have a girl, by what the picture is showing.  She needs to be in a separate cage and on a totally different level in your home away from the boys .   

When she goes into season, even if the two males can not see her ... if they can smell her ... they will often fight to the death for the right to breed her ... even if they can not get to her.  You may not be able to smell her, but the chins can smell better than you can.

For the safety of the chins, you should not put one of the males with her until she is about a year old.

 At the tender age of 10 weeks, males have the ability to impregnate a female.

 At the tender age of 3 1/2 to 4 months of age, a female has the capability to get pregnant, but is not mature enough to be able to safely carry and deliver the kits.  Mom and kits both will often die during the attempt to deliver.

   Jo Ann

[olivia41]

thank you everyone. i really don't know what to do this is so hard. benji is the sweetest little thing, but at the same time indy's been with us for a while and we've grown so attached to him  thanks everyone for your support and advice though.

[cusunfireguy]

Oh my gosh!  I so feel for you Olivia!  Try to think about what you would want for the future.  Do you think you would be ready for babies?  My question for chinclub & JoAnn would be this:  If she removes the female from the mix, would the 2 males calm back down and bond again?  We tried that for awhile with the female completely out of the house and mine didn't after 3 weeks.  They sill went after each other.  At that point, we decided to give little Sam to a really nice lady that has a chin that's almost 20 years old and he's doing really well.  However, with the female back at home, the eventual kits came.  We do love having the kits, it's hard on us to have to separate him after the birth and all, and the kits are alot of work but very rewarding at the same time.

So, except for the question I had, I would just think of all scenarios and decide on what would be best for your lifestyle.  Also, do you know anything about the genetics and whether or not they "should" breed?  Again, I have been really lucky with mine.  I have only had one kit die and that seemed mostly due to him being slightly underdevoped since he was the runt of a litter of 4.  None of their offspring has had any issues over the last 3 years and all are doing really well.

I would try to make the decision as quickly as possible so the tension and mental stress in your home can subside.  If we are stressed out and worried, we pass that information on to our animals and everyone else around us.  If we aren't happy, they won't be either.

I am sending a bunch of love and good vibes your way and wish you the best in this difficult time.  You have lots of support here and we are all rooting for you!

Steven